Rural mailbox support



Jan. 18, 1966 K. H. KAGELS RURAL MAILBOX SUPPORT Filed March 25, 1964 FIG. I

FIG. 3

INVENTOR. KENNETH H. KAGELS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,229,940 RURAL MAILBOX SUPPORT Kenneth H. Kagels, Newfane, N.Y. Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,558 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-124) This invention relates to improvements in rural mailbox supports.

More particularly, the invention is a highly simplified, economical and readily adjustable support for a rural mailbox.

One object of the invention is to provide a rural mailbox support which is sufficiently simple in construction to render possible and practical the installation of the support by the homeowner on a do-it-yourself basis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rural mailbox support which can be adjusted to the proper height by the mail carrier.

Another object is to provide an improved rural mailbox support having means enabling the mailbox and its support arm to turn in either direction if struck by a snow plow or the like, rather than being torn from its moorings.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a rural mailbox support embodying the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the same, and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates a straight section of cylindrical steel tubing or the like adapted to be driven into the ground or anchored therein with concrete, if preferred. The tubing section 10 may be about three and one-half feet long with approximately a one foot length thereof projecting above the ground line as shown in FIGURE 1. The tubing section 10 is preferably about two inches inside diameter. The above dimensions are in no sense critical and merely represent preferred and practical dimensions.

Telescopically movably mounted within the upper portion of tubing section 10 is a second straight pipe or tubing section 11, such as a two inch outside diameter steel tube approximately four feet long. The upper vertical tubing section 11 is provided intermediate its ends with a plurality of equidistantly spaced diametrical openings 12 extending entirely therethrough. These may be one-half inch diameter openings spaced approximately two inches apart, as indicated. The openings 12 are adapted selectively to receive a removable cylindrical cross pin 13 whose length is somewhat greater than the diameter of the upper tubing section 11 so that end portions of the pin 13 may project beyond opposite sides of tubing section 11 as shown in the drawings.

The upper end of tubing section 10 is provided with diametrically opposed approximately semi-circular notches 14 of a size to accommodate the end portions of the pin 13 and through this pin bearing the weight of the upper tubing section 11 and all other parts mounted thereon. The upper corners 15 of the notches 14 are preferably rounded somewhat so that the pin 13 may move out of the notches 14 under certain conditions without tearing the support from its moorings or otherwise destroying it. The pin 13 is readily removable from any particular opening 12 and insertable within any other ice selected opening of tubing section 11, thereby rendering the upper tubing section 11 adjustable vertically through a range of about ten inches relative to the ground.

The support further embodies a horizontal radial mailbox support arm 16, preferably formed from another section of steel tubing or the like and projecting at right angles to the post structure consisting of the tubing sections 10 and 11. The arm 16 carries a vertical tubular fitting 17 at its inner end, rigidly secured thereto by welding or the like and adapted to fit telescopically over the top extremity of tubing section 11 and detachably rigidly secured thereto by a cross bolt 18 or the like.

A sheet metal mailbox support plate 19 preferably having side flanges 20 is mounted in a level manner upon the arm 16, near the outer end thereof, and detachably rigidly secured thereto by bolts 21 or by welding or the like, if preferred. The horizontal arm 16 is preferably about twenty-five inches long, measured from the center of the vertical post. The plate 19 is of a shape and size to accommodate a standard type rural mailbox 22. The box 22 is secured rigidly to the plate 19 in any preferred conventional manner.

A diagonal brace 23 is preferably provided between the upper tubing section 11 and the tubular arm 16 and having its opposite ends bolted to these elements, as shown.

The disposition of the arm 16 relative to the pin 13 and notches 14 is such that the arm and rural mailbox will project toward the roadway at right angles thereto for convenient access by the postman.

If the arm 16 or mailbox is struck laterally by a snow plow or other object, the pin 13 will rise from the notches 14 permitting the arm 16 and tubing section 11 to rotate in either direction as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 1. This prevents the support assembly from being torn bodily from the ground or demolished by the collision. After the collision, the cross pin 13 is merely returned to the notches 14 and this again properly positions the arm 16 relative to the roadway with stability.

Another important feature of the invention lies in the separability of the several parts and in the fact that very few parts are employed in the complete assembly. All that the user need do to install the support is drive the lower tubing section 10 in the ground, introduce the upper tubing section 11 into it telescopically, insert the cross pin 13 and mount the arm 16 and associated parts on the upper tubing section 11. The assembly can be readily sold in a knocked down condition as a kit for installation by the homeowner. The advantages of the structure and its extreme simplicity should now be apparent to those skilled in the art without the necessity for any further description herein.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A rural mailbox support, comprising, in combination:

a lower tubing section having an upper end, and being anchored in the ground;

the upper end having a cross notch formed therein;

the cross notch having rounded upper corners;

an upper tubing section engaged within the lower tubing section and projecting thereabove;

the upper tubing section having spaced cross openings formed therethrough intermediate its ends, the openings being alignable with the cross notch;

a mailbox support arm extending outwardly from the upper tubing section; and

a cross pin ,removably engageable through the cross openings and projecting beyond the opposite sides of the upper tubing section, and including end portions releasably seated in the cross notch of the lower tubing section, whereby the upper tubing section is rotatable in a full 360 are if the support arm is subjected to collision.

2. A rural mailboxsupport, comprising, in combination:

an elongated lower, straight tubing section, having an upper end, and being anchored in the ground with the upper end projecting thereabove;

the upper end having a cross notch formed therein opening on diametrically opposed sides thereof;

the cross notch having rounded upper corners;

an upper tubing section engaged telescopically and movably within the lower tubing section and projecting thereabove;

the upper tubing section having a plurality of pairs of spaced cross openings formed therein intermediate its ends, the pairs being selectively alignable with the cross notch;

a mailbox horizontalsupport arm detachably secured to the upper tubing section and extending outwardly therefrom;

a substantially cylindrical cross pin selectively and re- References Cited by the Examiner,

UNITED' STATES PATENTS 2,738,941 3/1956 Laur'ich et al. 248145 3,058,710 10/1962 Ryan 248-124 FOREIGN PATENTS 508,529 12/ 1954 Canada. 1,021,928 2/ 1953 France.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

2. A RURAL MAILBOX SUPPORT, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: AN ELONGATED LOWER, STRAIGHT TUBING SECTION, HAVING AN UPPER END, AND BEING ANCHORED IN THE GROUND WITH THE UPPER END PROJECTING THEREABOVE; THE UPPER END HAVING A CROSS NOTCH FORMED THEREIN OPENING ON DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SIDES THEREOF; THE CROSS NOTCH HAVING ROUNDED UPPER CORNERS; AN UPPER TUBING SECTION ENGAGED TELESCOPICALLY AND MOVABLY WITHIN THE LOWER TUBING SECTION AND PROJECTING THEREABOVE; THE UPPER TUBING SECTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SPACED CROSS OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, THE PAIRS BEING SELECTIVELY ALIGNABLE WITH THE CROSS NOTCH; A MAILBOX HORIZONTAL SUPPORT ARM DETACHABLY SECURED TO THE UPPER TUBING SECTION AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM; A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL CROSS PIN SELECTIVELY AND REMOVABLY ENGAGEABLE THROUGH THE CROSS OPENINGS AND PROJECTING BEYOND THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE UPPER TUBING SECTION, AND INCLUDING END PORTIONS RELEASABLY SEATED IN THE CROSS NOTCH OF THE LOWER TUBING SECTION, WHEREBY THE UPPER TUBING SECTION IS ROTATABLE IN A FULL 360* ARC IF THE HORIZONTAL SUPPORT ARM IS SUBJECTED TO COLLISION. 